1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fruit- and nut-harvesting equipment, and more particularly to apparatus for collecting harvested material, generally from trees, and transferring the harvest from its collection sites to large vehicular trailers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mechanical devices for harvesting fruit and nuts from trees typically operate by gripping the tree trunk and imparting thereto a controlled, low-frequency vibration or shaking action. This operation dislodges the fruit or nuts, which are then collected and transported.
A typical tree-shaking apparatus includes two opposing clamp members that engage the tree trunk, and which are themselves driven by dual oscillation or vibration units. Because droppage occurs over the relatively wide area corresponding to the extent of the tree's foliage, suitable collection apparatus must span this area yet be conveniently transportable from tree to tree. Such apparatus generally also includes a local conveying assembly for drawing the harvest to a collection point after it falls from the tree.
Subsequent transfer of the harvest from local collection points to a central repository, where it is prepared for bulk shipment, can impose considerable logistical problems. Indeed, such difficulties arise in many harvesting contexts, whether or not removal from trees is involved. One approach, exemplified by copending application Ser. No. 08/164,891, utilizes a self-propelled forklift-type device to haul relatively small bags of harvest from collection sites to a central site. Such arrangements, while flexible and particularly well-suited for small orchards, can become unworkable in larger agricultural operations having substantial numbers of collection sites and a distant central repository.
For these applications, larger intermediate collection vehicles are desirable Unfortunately, such vehicles (such as flatbed trailers) can be difficult to load, particularly from harvesting apparatus designed to dislodge fruit or nuts from trees. These apparatus typically collect harvest over a wide area, and are therefore quite large. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,269,021, 3,623,308, 5,191,758, 5,123,238, and 1,626,068, and copending application Ser. No. 08/165,028. The limited maneuverability both of such devices and of the large collection vehicle itself--particularly in orchard environments, where vehicles are constrained to move within narrow lanes--can obviate the possibility of their simultaneous utilization.